Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the Naples-Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) unemployment rate in the MSA declined by 1.4 percentage points over the year, from 7.0 percent in February 2013 to 5.6 percent in February 2014. The area experienced positive annual job growth with an increase of 5,500 jobs over the year.

Governor Scott said, “Today’s announcement of 5,500 new jobs created over the year and an unemployment rate of 5.6 percent in the Naples metro area is great news for Florida families in the area. Let’s keep working to create an environment where Florida’s businesses can continue to grow, and create jobs for generations to come.”

The industries gaining the most jobs in this metro area over the year in February 2014 were leisure and hospitality with 1,400 new jobs, construction with 1,200 new jobs, and trade, transportation, and utilities with 1,200 new jobs.In February 2014, the Naples-Marco Island MSA had the fastest annual job growth rate compared to all the metros in the state in total employment, with growth of 4.4 percent over the year. The metro area also had the second fastest job growth rates in construction and manufacturing.

The Naples-Marco Island MSA had 5,131 online job openings in February 2014, growing by 8.0 percent over the year. The area also had 467 openings for STEM occupations.STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and these jobs are considered high wage and high skill.Housing starts were up 20.6 percent over the year in the Naples metro area in January 2014.

In February, CareerSource Southwest Florida, along with the state’s other 23 Regional Workforce Boards, reported more than 37,900 Floridians were placed in jobs. An individual who receives employment and training assistance through a One-Stop Career Center and finds a job within 180 days is deemed a placement and may be reported by a regional workforce board. Of these individuals, 9,620 previously received Reemployment Assistance. In 2013, more than 479,064 Floridians were placed in jobs, with 135,384 former claimants finding employment.

Florida’s statewide unemployment rate for February 2014 was 6.2 percent, the lowest unemployment rate in the state since June 2008. The rate held steady to the revised January 2014 rate of 6.2 percent. Florida’s statewide unemployment rate has been below the national unemployment rate since August 2013, which was 6.7 percent in February 2014. Since December 2010, Florida has created 540,700 private sector jobs.